Begin With Today

No matter where you are in your career, today is a brand new day.
It does not matter how many jobs or gaps you have on your resume.
It does not matter whether you once led a big project that failed
or went nowhere. It does not matter if you tell yourself
regularly that you should be somewhere else in your career rather
than where you are right now. Today is a brand new day.

We all have something in our career that we wished we would have
done differently. Maybe you blew an interview. Maybe someone at
work sidelined you. Maybe you should have spoken up more--or
less. Objectively we know that everyone makes mistakes, but
sometimes, inside, we cannot let go of what we perceive as
failure. Every great leader has failed sometime in their career.
It's not important how you fall, but how you pick yourself back
up.

So How Do You Begin With Today? Follow These Steps Below.

1. Make Peace With Your Past

Rather than focus on how the past has harmed you, focus on how
the past has taken you to where you are today. The project that
went nowhere may have taught you to plan more or to be more
assertive. The multiple jobs on your resume may have taught you
to stay put and not leave when things get tough. The co-worker
that sidelined you may have taught you to showcase your work
better and expand your network. You have learned valuable lessons
from every mistake you have made. You are a better person because
of them.

2. Decide What You Want

Once you have made peace with your past, you have a clean slate.
What do you want to do with yours? Do you want a new job? Do you
want a new career? Do you want to make more money? You can do
anything you want if you put your mind to it. The only person who
is keeping you from these things is you. Decide that you want
something more and you can have it. Decide that today is the day
that you will turnaround your career.

3. Start Where You Are Now

Begin with today-it's what you have in front of you. Go after
what you want because not doing so is keeping you from unleashing
the true person that is inside you.

Take out a piece of paper and write down what you want. Then,
break what you want into steps. Prioritize your steps and then
put them into your calendar. Work on one step at a time. Focus on
the future and making what you want a reality. Look forward
rather than back because what's behind you is over. Start where
you are right now which is the best place to begin.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might
as well be a life you love!

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Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams,
Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that
works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who
are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more
productive in their current role. She is the author of “Coach
Yourself To A New Career” and “How To Feel Great At Work
Everyday.” Deborah can be reached at
http://www.surpassyourdreams.com